eCommerce Challenges

Creating eCommerce experiences that are good is one thing, but how do you create a great eCommerce experience for your shoppers.

We take a look at what some of the top brands are doing that sets them apart from the competition so that you can consider these tactics for your brand.

Branding Relationships not Brand Awareness

With Generation Y being the most powerful group of consumers ($170 billion in buying power per year) it’s important that brands work to build relationships with customers that Millennial buyers crave.

Nordstrom has done an exceptional job of thrilling their customers and building brand relationships. They don’t carry anything special that other department stores don’t offer, but they’re known for their outstanding customer service. As a result, ask any female about their shopping experiences with Nordstrom and they’re likely to have rave reviews to share. Their buyers come back time and time again because the experience was a pleasure and not a pain.

Real-Time engagement

This goes back to building relationships. The current generation of buyers wants more than just instant gratification, they also want timely communication with the brands they are spending money with.

At home meal-plan delivery service Hello Fresh is great about getting back to customers as soon as possible. As a customer of theirs, if I sent an email with an issue about a delivery, I would receive a response within minutesand always had a good resolution offered to me, usually in the form of a partial refund. This timely response with meaningful resolution means that customers:

Won’t have time to stew over how annoyed they are about the issue.

Will feel both heard and valued.

Will be unafraid to make another order as the perceived risk is low.

Will likely tell their friends about the positive experience they’ve had.

Dated Distribution Models

Don’t just use the same shipping provider you’ve always used because it’s easy for YOU. Consider several options for getting products to your customers – with fast and cheap shipping offerings.

I think the Primeexample of this would be Amazon (pun intended). While the eCommerce giant has a massive distribution network allowing them to offer two-day shipping on millions of items throughout the site, many merchants can’t offer that kind of speed.

But that doesn’t mean your site is out of the race all together. Do your research among shipping providers so you can offer your customers a variety of methods and options at reasonable rates. Better yet, set a threshold and offer free shipping for orders over a certain amount. People love free shipping, but if it can’t be free, it should at least be quick and affordable.

Creating Experiences That Are AHEAD of The Curve

Catching up with the trends that are already in place is merely playing catch up. Brands need to be setting the standard for a unique purchasing experience so that they’re remembered.

Curated fashion delivery service Stitch Fix gained huge popularity among women for making shopping hassle-free and fun. After answering questions about their style and sizing, customers are then sent monthly boxes with items hand selected for them. The boxes are neatly packed and branded throughout with tissue paper and personalized materials inside.

As a result many competitors were soon to follow: Wantable, Le Tote and Gwynnie Bee have all gained followings, but none have been as popular as the original. The takeaway here: creating a one-of-a-kind experience in your industry could very well make you the leader in it.

Voice Search

With the rise in popularity of assistant devices like Siri, Alexa and Google Now, being optimized for voice search prior to it being completely mainstream is crucial. We’ve discussed voice-enabled search in a previous blog by our partner Klevu. “Voice Enabled Search” is the ability to click into a search bar on a mobile device and say what you’re looking for without typing it out.

If you have the Amazon mobile app, you’ll see a great example of Voice Search in action. By clicking this little icon in the upper right hand corner, users are then prompted to ask Alexa a question.

When I asked Alexa “Where’s My Stuff?”, she brought up all my recent orders along with estimated delivery dates.

Voice Search allows users to find what they’re looking for faster which in turn means getting users into and through the sales funnel faster.

The Rebirth of the Brick & Mortar Stores

Did you know that 50% of Generation Y’ers actually prefer going to physical stores? This means that retailers not only need to master the online experience, but they also need to make sure not to neglect their retail presence.

This may sound odd coming from an eCommerce agency, but we wanted to make an important point. Retail giant Wal-Mart does exactly this with tweaks to their inventory management system and by shifting overnight stocking to the daytime. What does this mean for customers? More employees are available on the floor during the day to provide customer service.

What are your eCommerce Challenges for 2018? Talk to an expert consultant at EYStudios today and learn more about how we can help you overcome them. Call us at 888-429-4803 or email us info@eystudios.com.